OHSAA unveils softball playoff brackets

Each spring, the Mahoning Valley proves to be one of the deepest, most talent-rich areas for softball in the state of Ohio.

This year is no different, as the OHSAA unveiled the 2024 postseason tournament brackets on Sunday that culminate with the state semifinals and finals at Firestone Stadium in Akron from May 30 to June 1.

Last year, three local teams made it all the way to at least the state semifinals in Akron.

As expected, the area is littered with top-seeded teams. Defending Division I state champion Austintown Fitch again earned a No. 1 seed, while defending Division II state runner up Canfield earned a No. 2 seed. In Division III, state powerhouse Champion was tabbed as a No. 1 seed, with South Range picking up a No. 2 seed in a different district. Finally, in Division IV, Mathews earned a No. 1 seed, as well.

Fitch’s quest to defend its Division I state title will begin with a bye in the Northeast 2 Youngstown district. The Falcons will face the winner of No. 31 Lyndhurst Brush and No. 30 Mayfield for their first tournament matchup on May 8.

Elsewhere in the Division I field, Boardman is a No. 10 seed in the Northeast 3 Massillon district and will face the winner of No. 16 Uniontown Lake and No. 26 Twinsburg on May 8.

As the highest seed in the Northeast 2 Hubbard district, Canfield also opted for a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 15 Geneva and No. 20 Chaney on May 9.

In the opposing district (Northeast 1 Jefferson), Howland, a No. 5 seed, will play the winner of No. 10 Ursuline and No. 21 Girard on May 9. No. 7 seeded West Branch is also in Howland’s district, and will play No. 25 Niles in a first-round game on May 7.

Both South Range and Champion have opted for first-round byes in their respective districts in Division III. The two schools are again on opposite sides of the region, just like last year when they faced off in the regional final with a trip to Akron on the line. In that matchup, South Range prevailed over Champion 8-4 in eight innings.

The second-seeded Raiders will face the winner of No. 12 Canton South and No. 19 Brookfield on May 9 in the Northeast 1 South Range district. No. 3 seed Columbiana is on the opposite side of South Range’s district bracket, and is set to face the winner of No. 8 Wickliffe and No. 13 Garfield in its first matchup.

The top-seeded Golden Flashes will play the winner of No. 18 Campbell Memorial and No. 20 Cardinal Mooney on May 9 in the Northeast 2 LaBrae district. Champion’s district also includes No. 4 seed Lakeview, which will face the winner of No. 14 Liberty and No. 15 Crestview, along with No. 5 LaBrae, which is set to open its tournament against No. 23 Mentor Lake Catholic.

In Division IV, Mathews has a first-round bye in the Northeast 1 Jackson-Milton district, and is set to face the winner of No. 27 Springfield and No. 30 Wellsville. On the other side of the same district, Mineral Ridge is a No. 3 seed, while Maplewood is the No. 7 seed. The Rams will play the winner of No. 18 Lowellville and No. 28 Lisbon, while the Rockets will get the winner of No. 21 Bristol and No. 31 Andrews Osborne.

Also in Division IV, Chalker is the No. 6 seed in the Northeast 3 Dalton district and will face the winner of No. 25 Warren JFK and No. 20 Newton Falls. The Northeast 2 Badger district contains No. 4 seed McDonald, No. 5 seed Western Reserve and No. 9 seed Jackson-Milton.

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